Indicative Baseline Assessment of Corporate Social Responsibility in Ireland

A key input to the development of ‘Towards Responsible Business’ Ireland’s National Plan on Corporate Social Responsibility 2017-2020 was the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation commissioned research to produce an indicative baseline assessment of CSR in Ireland. This work was undertaken by Research Matters Ltd., and the outputs are referenced in the second National Plan. The Irish business survey garnered over 1,300 respondents, which showed that over 80 percent regarded CSR as important to them. The work also consulted national and international literature on themes such as: drivers of CSR; governance indicators and reporting on CSR; and the breadth of CSR activities in businesses. In the context of a dearth of commentary and analysis on CSR undertaken in the Irish context, the Research Matters report is a useful addition to knowledge about CSR in Ireland.